Journal

'We Pay Cash for Gold', says the sign on the door. 'Goldankauf Zeil' - a gold merchant in Frankfurt buys up to three kilograms of gold a week, in the form of coins, rings, necklaces and jewelry of all kinds. Each item is hall marked with its gold content. The company pays around 25 euros per gram of pure gold - but that depends on the day's price on the commodities markets.

The merchant then sells the gold to a specialist metalworker who pays about two euros more per gram of the precious metal. It is then melted down and cast into ingots. Gold is a rare commodity, which means it commands a high price. While some rush to buy the precious metal when times are bad, those same bad times force others to sell what gold they may have.

Number Cruncher

for diet-related illnesses in Germany

Seventy Billion Euros - that's how much diet-related diseases cost the German health system every year. Obesity, caused by too much sugar, fat and salt, can lead to a number of health problems. More and more people in Germany are overweight because of their bad dietary habits, like eating convenience or fast food. It is often difficult to tell how much fat and sugar is contained in pre-packed foods and soft drinks. That's why many doctors and nutritionists in Germany are calling for color coding on food packaging.